Method of Playing A Casino Card Game

ABSTRACT

A method of playing a card game including the steps of having each player place a required initial bet; dealing a preset number of cards to each player and to the dealer from a standard deck of cards, wherein the each Ace has a point value of 1, cards 2-9 each have a point value equal to their face value, and tens, jacks, queens, and kings having a zero point value; having each player and the dealer divide their cards into a highest hand and a 2 nd  high hand with each hand having a preset subset of the dealt cards; wherein the value of each hand is equal to the least significant digit of the sum of the subset cards within the hand and the highest hand has to have a value greater than the value of the 2 nd  high hand; comparing each player&#39;s high hand to the dealer&#39;s high hand and each player&#39;s 2 nd  high hand to the dealer&#39;s 2 nd  high hand; and declaring the player a winner only if both hands are higher than the dealer&#39;s hands.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Appln. No.61/648,912, filed on May 17, 2012, which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to card games and, inparticular, to casino and the like card games wherein players bet onhands of cards dealt to them by a dealer. The present invention providesa novel card game method and apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art

A standard deck of playing cards typically has 52 cards, including fourof each of the following cards: aces; twos through tens; jacks; queens;and kings Standard decks typically also include two jokers which are notusually used in certain games.

A great variety of games are known in the art wherein a dealer hands outa set of cards to each player. Although there are a great many gamesknown in the art, there remains a continued need for games that areenjoyable for players of all skill levels and that are economically andfunctionally desirable for casino use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a unique card game method and apparatusthat can be both enjoyable for all players and desirable for a casino orhouse. The games according to the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention are referred to herein by the preferred trade name Cao CaoPoker™. “Cao” which means nine in the traditional Han Vietnameselanguage is often thought of as a significant number. Cao Cao Poker(also called Double-Hand nine-nine count poker) is a strategic gameplayed with a standard 52-card deck. It is played on a table with up to7 players plus a dealer (total of 8 positions). Each player attempts todefeat the dealer.

Cao Cao Poker is a card counting game in which a player tries to reach atotal base count, or a total sum wherein the least significant digit(LSD), which is closest to 9 or a royal hand in order to create athree-card hand. Nine is the ideal numerical value a player attempts toachieve. The object of the game is to win your bet by having a highernumerical total of all cards of the double hand than the numerical totalof the designated dealer's double hand cards. Trying to reach closest to9 in the Highest hand and a minimum of 5 on the 2nd High hand is oftenthe basic strategy to use. Suits have no value, as only numerical valuecounts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofpreferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood whenread in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose ofillustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings embodimentswhich are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, thatthe invention is not limited to the precise arrangements andinstrumentalities shown. In the drawings:

FIG. 1A illustrates a top view of a casino card table in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B illustrates a top view of a casino card table in accordance witha second embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B, a flowchart of the steps of a process for playing acard game of strategy, chance, and betting in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3A depicts a flowchart of the steps of a process for playing a cardgame of strategy, chance, and betting in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3B depicts a flowchart of the steps of a process for determining awinning hand, losing hand, tied hand, and payouts for the card game inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A preferred version of Cao Cao Poker will be described with reference tothe drawings. Further preferred methods of implementing the game andoptional features of the game will be described hereinafter.

Table Set Up

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B each illustrate a top view of an exemplary casinocard table 10, 10′, hereinafter referred to as “table”, in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention. The table 10, 10′ may be aphysical table, similar in size and structure to a standard blackjacktable, or the table 10, 10′ may be a virtual table, for example, acomputer generated table visible on a web page, within a mobile deviceapplication or the like. Up to seven players may be seated in designatedplayer positions 11-17, with an addition an additional Dealer position18, totaling eight positions. While the preferred embodiment includesseven player positions, the table 10 is not limited to such a set up andmay include as few as one player position and the dealer position. Inthe exemplary tables 10, 10′, each of the seven player positions 11-17includes five slots namely, Bonus Slot 23, Ante Slot 22, Play Slot 21,2nd High Slot 20, and Highest Slot 19. The Dealer position 18 includesonly two slots, lines or designators for 2nd High Slot 25 and HighestSlot 24. The House chips are stored in the designated chip slots 27.

Referring to FIG. 1A, the exemplary table 10 is configured for a MachineShuffler Table Layout. A shuffler 28 is positioned to the right of theDealer 18. The shuffler 28 may be a card shuffler used in standardcasino practices or any other shuffling device. The shoe 26, ispositioned to the left of the Dealer 18 and used for discarding.

Referring to FIG. 1B, the exemplary table 10′ is configured for a Manualand Hand Shuffling Table Layout. Since no shuffler exists in thisconfiguration, new cards are stored in the shoe 26, positioned to theright of the Dealer 18, and discarded cards are stored in the discardrack 29, positioned to the left of the Dealer 18.

It is recognized that the tables 10, 10′, whether physical or virtual,may have other configurations and may include more or fewer dealingelements. Additionally, the slots 19-25 may also be alternativelyarranged or configured and more or fewer slots may be utilized dependingon the version of the game being played.

General Rules

Cao Cao Poker is a card counting game in which a player tries to reach atotal base count, or a total sum wherein the least significant digit(LSD), in each hand which is closest to the target value or a royal handin order to create a three-card hand. The target value is preferably 9.Each player and the dealer will each receive a designated number ofcards, which in the preferred embodiment is six cards each. Each playerand the dealer will separate their cards into two hands having adesignated number of cards in each hand, which in the preferredembodiment is 3 cards in each hand. One of the hands will be the HighestHand and the other will be the 2^(nd) High Hand. The 2^(nd) High Handmust have a rank lower than or equal to the rank of the Highest Hand.

In determining the rank of each hand, the cards used in Cao Cao Pokershall have the following point value: each ace has a point value of 1;cards 2-9 have a point value equal to their face value; each ten andeach face card (J, Q, K) has a point value of zero. Examples of cardssum total (numerical value) for basic hands are as follows:

5, 5, 1=11 equal to 1 total point value

7, 2, 4=13 equal to 3 point value

A, A, Q=2 equal to 2 point value

5, J, 3=8

4, 5, K=9

While face cards have no point value, a combination of three face cardsor royal cards (e.g. JJJ, QQQ, KKK, JQK, JJQ, JQQ, JKK, etc.) isconsidered a royal hand combination. A “super” combination hand shall betriple 3s (3,3,3 makes the perfect nine) and any combination of threeface cards K,J,Q.=royal hand (highest value). Only one hand shall beconsidered higher than the super combination and that is a combinationcalled “Perfect Cao Cao” and the combination hand will be 2nd High Handas 2,3,4 and Highest as 3,3,3. Basically a combination hand that hastriple 3s and only the combination of cards 2,3,4 (must contain allthree number cards).

Certain card combinations will be considered higher hands whendetermining hand ranking and whether the player is entitled to a Bonusas described hereinafter. Illustrative higher hand combinations are setforth below.

Hand Name Double (2^(nd) High/ Hand Highest) Description Example Rank234/333 A value of 9 using 2, 3, 4 - - - 3, 3, 3  Highest (Perfect thecards 2, 3, 4 Hand Cao Cao) and any triple 3s 333/Royal Any triple 3sand 3, 3, 3 - - - K, J, Q 2^(nd) (Super Royal cards Highest Cao Cao)Hand Royal/ Any Royal cards and J, K, Q - - - Q, K, K 3^(rd) Royal Royalcards Highest Hand 9/Royal Numerical value of 6, 3, 10 - - - J, J, K 4^(th) 9 and Royal cards Highest Hand 9/9 Total numerical of 4, 5,J - - - 7, 2, Q 5^(th) 9 and 9 Highest Hand

Only the four highest hands, that is hands including only the 2,3,4hand, triple 3s and Royal cards played together as a double handcombination, are eligible for the Highest Bonus. The fifth highest handmay be eligible for the 9/9 Bonus if played correctly according to therules for the 9/9 Bonus as explained below. Any other combination willqualify it as just a total numerical value of 9.

With an understanding of the card values, an exemplary hand may beplayed as follows: if a player is dealt the cards 2, 5, J, 10, 7, and K,the player will have two options of setting their Highest Hand and their2^(nd) High Hand. The player may set their hand as follows:

Highest: use 10, J, or K and in combination with the 7 and 2 to make anine point value. The higher numerical three cards are placed on thebottom Highest slot 19. The 2^(nd) High Hand would use the remainingcards, namely, J, K and 5 to make a five point value. The lessernumerical value three cards are placed on the 2nd High slot 20. Thedouble hand would have a total value of 5 on top and total value of 9 onthe bottom.

Alternatively, the player can also play the hand as follows:

Highest: use 10, J, or K and in combination with the 5 and 2 to make aseven point value and the 2^(nd) High Hand would use the remainingcards, namely, 10, J, and 7 to make a seven point value. The double handwould have a total value of 7 on top and total value of 7 on the bottom.The cards are placed on the table 10, 10′ according to the slots 20, 19.

House Mandatory Strategy

In a preferred embodiment, the dealer does not have all of the sameoptions in setting the dealer's hands but instead must follow the “HouseMandatory Strategy”. In accordance with the House Mandatory Strategy,the dealer must follow these rules:

a. Dealer will always stand or play with Royal cards on Highest Slot, nomatter what numerical value is on the 2^(nd) High Hand. For example, ifthe dealer is dealt K,Q,J,9,8,3, the dealer must play K,Q,J for theHighest Hand and 9,8,3 (which equal 0) for the 2^(nd) High Hand.

b. If the dealer's cards can make a numerical point value of 9 for theHighest Hand and the remaining cards make a 2^(nd) High Hand having apoint value of 5 or more, the dealer must play the hand. For example, ifthe dealer is dealt 2, 5, J, 10, 7, and K (the example above), thedealer must play the 5/9 hand and can not play the 7/7 hand.

c. The numerical combination value of 4 or lower on 2^(nd) High slot and9 on Highest slot is optional to stand if the numerical differencebetween Highest and 2nd High is higher than two points or more aftersplitting up the six cards for a different numerical combination. Forexample, if the dealer is dealt 3,7,9,10,Q,K, the only way the dealercan make a nine hand will be to play 3,7,10 on the 2^(nd) High Hand and9,Q,K on the Highest for a combination hand of 0/9. Since the zero isoutside of the “5/9 rule”, the dealer would examine the other possiblehands, which could be 3,9,10- - - 7,Q,K for a combination of 2/7 or3,10,Q - - - 7,9,K for a combination of 3/6. Since both of these otherpossible combinations have more than a two point difference between thehands, the dealer would have the option of playing the 0/9 combinationor either of the other combinations.

In contrast, if the dealer is dealt 2, 4, J, 10, 6, and A, the dealerwill not have the choice to play a 4/9 hand (4, J, 10)/(2, 6, A) sincethe dealer will have available the combination of 6/7 (4, 2, 10)/(6, A,J) which, since there is less than a 2 point difference, the dealer willhave to play.

Determining a Winning Hand

The following provides the winning, push and loss scenarios in apreferred version of Cao Cao Poker. Other scenarios may alternatively beutilized without departing from the invention. A player's hand shall winif the Highest hand of the player is higher in rank than the Highesthand of the dealer and the 2^(nd) High hand of the player is higher inrank than the 2^(nd) High hand of the dealer.

A player's hand shall be a push if: (i) the Highest hand of the playeris higher in rank than the Highest hand of the dealer, but the 2^(nd)High hand of the player is identical in rank to the 2^(nd) High hand ofthe dealer (copy hand) or lower in rank than the 2^(nd) High hand of thedealer; or (ii) the highest hand of the dealer is higher in rank thanthe Highest Hand of the player, but the 2^(nd) High hand of the Playeris higher in rank than the Highest Hand of the Dealer.

A player's hand shall lose if: (i) the Highest hand of the player islower in rank than the Highest hand of the dealer, and the 2^(nd) Highhand of the player is lower in rank than the 2^(nd) High hand of thedealer; (ii) the Highest hand of the player is identical in rank to theHighest hand of the dealer and the 2^(nd) High hand of the player isidentical in rank to the 2^(nd) High hand of the dealer (a “copy hand”),House has advantage; (iii) the Highest Hand of the player is identicalin rank to the Highest hand of the dealer but the 2^(nd) High Hand ofthe player is lower in rank to the 2^(nd) High Hand of the dealer; (iv)the Highest Hand of the player was not set to as to rank equal to orhigher than the 2^(nd) High Hand of that player; or (v) the two hands ofthe player were not otherwise set correctly in accordance with the rulesof the game (for example, a player forms a 2 card 2^(nd) High Hand and afour card Highest Hand).

Wagering

The following provides the wagering rules for a preferred version of CaoCao Poker. Other rules may alternatively be utilized without departingfrom the invention. Prior to any cards being dealt, each playerinterested in playing a hand of Cao Cao Poker must place an ante wageron the Ante Slot 22. At the same time, the player may optionally place aBonus wager by placing it on the Bonus Slot 23. The Bonus and Antewagers do not have to be the same amount. The wager may be made withchips, a match play coupon or any other form permitted by the House. TheHouse may set minimum and maximum values for any of the wagers.

Once each player has been dealt their cards and have reviewed theircards, each player has the option to fold or play their cards. If theplayer wishes to play, the player must place a wager on the Play Slot21. On the Play Slot 21, players will have the option to place the samevalue wager as the Ante slot 22 or they can double their wager on thePlay Slot 21. If a player decides to fold, their cards will remain onthe table in case they are eligible for the Bonus provided that theyhave placed a wager on the Bonus slot 23.

The preferred wager payouts are as follows: (i) if the player folds,they lose their Ante wager; (ii) if the player's hand wins, the playeris paid 1 to 1 on the Ante wager and the Play wager; (iii) if dealerbeats player's hand, the player loses the Ante and Play wagers; (iv) ifthe dealer's hand and the player's hand is a push, the player does notlose the Ante or Play wager. In each case, the cards remain on the tableto determine whether the player is eligible for the bonus, if played.

If player bets on the Bonus, the player is in the running to potentiallyreceiving one of the game's bonus hand payouts. A player will receive aBonus payouts regardless of the dealer's hand. When a player bets boththe Bonus and the Ante, including Play, the player is playing againsttwo separate pay tables with two different criteria for payouts. Inplaying the Ante/Play wager, the object is to get a six-card poker handthat beats the dealer's six-card poker hand in the manner describedabove. In playing the Bonus wager, the object is to receive one of theBonus hands. Players receive the Bonus payouts regardless of thedealer's hand.

The Bonus hands are the combination hands described above. An exemplarypayout for Bonus wagers is as follows:

Hand Name (2^(nd) High/ Bonus Highest) Description Example Payout234/333 A value of 9 using 2, 3, 4 - - - 3, 3, 3  500:1  (Perfect thecards 2, 3, 4 Cao Cao) and any triple 3s 333/Royal Any triple 3s and 3,3, 3 - - - K, J, Q 100:1  (Super Royal cards Cao Cao) Royal/ Any Royalcards and J, K, Q - - - Q, K, K 50:1 Royal Royal cards 9/Royal Numericalvalue of 6, 3, 10 - - - J, J, K  15:1 9 and Royal cards 9/9 Totalnumerical of 4, 5, J - - - 7, 2, Q  5:1 9 and 9

These Bonus payout odds are exemplary only and the invention is notlimited to such payouts.

Process of Exemplary Round of Cao Cao Poker

Now referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, depicted is a flowchart of the stepsof the process for playing an exemplary embodiment of Cao Cao Poker.When starting a new game 100, the dealer 18 ensures the deck is shuffledin step 101. If the cards are not shuffled, the dealer 18 proceeds to doso in step 102, and is followed by an option cut 103 from one of theplayers 11-17.

Once the cards are shuffled and cut, the game proceeds to all playerswagering normal bets in step 104 on the designated Ante Slot 22 andBonus Slot 23 of table 10, and the dealer 18 deals six cards face downto the first position 11 in step 105. When dealing to a position, if aplayer is not playing the position, the cards are immediately discardedas shown in steps 106 and 107. The cards are continuously dealt, six ata time to each position until all positions are dealt, as shown in steps108 and 109.

Once all cards are dealt, the players review their cards as at 110 andthen decide whether to fold or play as indicated at 111. If the playerfolds, the player loses and the player's Ante wager is collected asindicated at 112. All players that choose to play place their Play wagerat 113. At 114 the dealer checks to determine if all players that arenot folding have placed an appropriate Play wager. All players must thenarrange the six cards that were dealt to their position in two hands instep 115 in accordance with the rules of Highest Hand and 2^(nd) HighHand above.

In step 116, the dealer will wait for all players to place their HighestHand in designated Highest Hand Slot 19 and 2^(nd) High Hand in thedesignated 2^(nd) High Hand Slot 20 on the table 10. Once step 116 iscomplete, the dealer must turn over their six cards and arrange them inthe Dealer Highest Hand slot 24 and the Dealer 2^(nd) High Hand Slot 25.

The dealer then turns over the next player's hands 118 and compares thetwo hands of the current player to the two hands of the dealer in step119. If the player displays an illegal hand in step 120, the playerloses and the dealer collects the player's bets and cards in step 121,including the player's bonus bet if applicable. If the player has playeda legal winning hand in step 122, the player is paid on the Ante andPlay wagers in step 123. If the player has played a legal tying hand instep 124, then the result is a push in step 125 and the player's Anteand Play wagers remain in place. If the hand is not a winning hand or apush hand, the hand is a losing hand and the player's Ante and Playwagers are collected at step 126.

The dealer then considers at 127 whether the player has a bonus hand. Ifthe hand is a bonus hand, the dealer pays the Bonus payout to the playerat 128. If the hand is not a bonus hand, the dealer collects the Bonuswager at 129. The process is repeated at 130 until all hands have beenconsidered. Once all hands have been exposed and considered, the cardsare collected and discarded in step 131 and the round ends at 132.

Optional Banker Opportunity

A casino may, in its discretion, offer to all players at a Cao Cao Pokertable the opportunity to bank the game. A player may not be the bank atthe start of the game. For the purposes of this section, the start ofthe game shall mean the first round of play after the table is opened.After the first round of play, each player at the table shall have theoption to either be the bank or pass the bank to the next player. Thedealer shall, starting with the player farthest to the right of thedealer, offer the bank to each player in a clockwise rotation around thetable until a player accepts the bank. The dealer shall place a markerdesignating the bank in front of the player who accepts the bank. If thefirst player offered the bank accepts, the player seated to the right ofthat player shall first be offered the bank on the next round of play.The initial offer to be the bank shall rotate clockwise around the tableuntil it returns to the dealer. In no event may any player bank twoconsecutive rounds of play. If no player wishes to be the bank, theround of play shall proceed in accordance with the rules of playdescribed herein.

Before a player may be permitted to bank a round of play, the dealershall determine that: (i) the player placed a wager against the dealerduring the last round of play in which there was no player banking thegame; and (ii) the player has sufficient gaming chips on the table tocover all of the wagers placed by other players at the table for thatround of play.

A casino may, in its discretion, offer the bank the option of having thecasino cover 50 percent of the wagers made during a round of play. Ifthe casino offers this option, it shall make it available to all playersat the table. If the bank wishes to use this option, the bank mustspecifically request the dealer to accept responsibility for the paymentof one-half of all winning wagers. When the bank covers 50 percent andthe casino covers 50 percent of the winning wagers, it shall be known as“co-banking” and the dealer shall place a marker designating the co-bankin front of that player. When the dealer is co-banking, the dealer shallbe responsible for setting the hand of the bank. When co-banking is ineffect, the dealer may not place a wager against the bank.

If a player is the bank, the player may only wager on one betting area(no bonus play). Once the dealer has determined that a player may be thebanker and after the cards have been shuffled, the dealer shall removegaming chips from the table inventory container in an amount equal tothe last wager made by that player against the dealer. This amount shallbe the amount the dealer wagers against the bank. The bank may directthat the sum wagered by the dealer be a lesser amount or that the dealerplaces no wager during that round of play. Any amount wagered by thedealer shall be placed in front of the table inventory container.

The dealer shall deliver the cards to the first player to the left ofthe designated banker and continue clockwise. If the cards dealt to thedealer have not been previously collected, after each player has set hisor her two hands and placed them on the appropriate area of the layout,the two hands of the dealer shall then be set. Once the dealer hasformed the Highest and 2^(nd) High Hand, the dealer shall expose thehands of the bank and determine if the hands of the dealer are higher inrank than the hands of the bank. If the dealer wins, the cards of thedealer shall be stacked face up to the right of the table inventorycontainer with the amount wagered by the dealer against the bank placedon top. If the dealer pushes, the dealer shall return the amount wageredby the dealer against the bank to the table inventory container. If thedealer loses, the amount wagered by the dealer against the bank shall bemoved to the center of the layout.

If banking is in effect, once the dealer has determined the outcome ofthe wager of the dealer against the bank, if any, the dealer shallexpose the hands of each player starting with the player farthest to theright of the dealer and proceeding clockwise around the table. Thedealer shall compare the high and low hand of each player to the highand low hand of the bank and shall announce if the wager shall win, loseor be considered a push against the bank. All losing wagers shall beimmediately collected and placed in the center of the table. After allhands have been exposed, all winning wagers, including the dealer'swager, shall be paid by the dealer with the gaming chips located in thecenter of the table. If this amount becomes exhausted before all winningwagers have been paid, the dealer shall collect from the bank, an amountequal to the remaining winning wagers and place that amount in thecenter of the layout. The remaining winning wagers shall be paid fromthe amount in the center of the layout. If, after collecting all losingwagers and paying all winning wagers, there is a surplus in the centerof the table, this amount shall be given to the bank.

If co-banking is in effect, once the dealer has set the co-bank hand,the dealer shall expose the hands of each player starting with theplayer farthest to the right of the dealer and proceeding clockwisearound the table. The dealer shall compare the Highest and 2^(nd) HighHand of each player to the Highest and 2^(nd) High Hand of the bank andshall announce if the wager shall win, lose or be considered a pushagainst the bank. All losing wagers shall be immediately collected andplaced in the center of the table. After all hands have been exposed,all winning wagers shall be paid by the dealer with the gaming chipslocated in the center of the table. If this amount becomes exhaustedbefore all winning wagers have been paid, the dealer shall collect fromthe co-bank, an amount equal to one-half of the remaining winning wagersand place that amount in the center of the layout. The dealer shallremove an amount equal to one-half of the remaining winning wagers fromthe table inventory container and place that amount in the center of thelayout. The remaining winning wagers shall be paid from the total amountin the center of the layout. I f, after collecting all losing wagers andpaying all winning wagers, there is a surplus in the center of thetable, this amount will be counted and the dealer shall place half ofthis amount into the table inventory container. The remaining amountshall then be given to the co-bank.

Immediately after a winning wager of the dealer is paid, this amount andthe original wager shall be returned to the table inventory container.If a casino offers a bonus wager, the processing and resolution of suchwagers shall be governed by the rules applicable to such wagers.

Process of Exemplary Round of Cao Cao Poker with Banker and No PlayWager

Now referring to FIG. 3A, depicted is a flowchart of the steps of theprocess for playing an exemplary embodiment of Cao Cao Poker with abanker and without a play wager. In such case, the Ante wager will bethe only wager required to play a round.

When starting a new game 200, the dealer 18 ensures the deck is shuffledin step 201. If the cards are not shuffled, the dealer 18 proceeds to doso in step 202, and is followed by an option cut from one of the players11-17.

Once the cards are shuffled and cut, the dealer 18 requests if anyplayer would like to act as the banker in step 204. If the current roundis the first round of play, no player may act as banker in steps 205 and207. In addition, the dealer 18 must ensure that any player requestingto act as the banker possesses enough chips to cover necessary payoutsin step 206. If the requesting player does not possess the minimumrequired chips, he/she may not act as banker in step 207 and the gameproceeds to all players wagering normal bets in step 208 on designatedAnte Slot 22 and Bonus Slot 23 of table 10, and the dealer 18 deals sixcards face down to the first position 11 in step 209. If the requestingplayer does possess the required chips, that player acts as banker,wagers are made in step 210 on designated Ante Slot 22 and Bonus Slot 23of table 10, and the first six cards dealt are to the next clockwiseposition of said player acting as banker in step 211. When dealing to aposition, if a player is not playing the position, the cards areimmediately discarded as shown in steps 212 and 213. The cards arecontinuously dealt, six at a time to each position until all positionsare dealt, as shown in steps 214 and 215. Once all cards are dealt, allplayers not acting as banker begin to play in step 216. All players mustthen arrange the six cards that were dealt to their position in twohands in step 217 in accordance with the rules of Highest Hand and2^(nd) High Hand above.

In step 218, the dealer will wait for all players to place their HighestHand in designated Highest Hand Slot 19 and 2^(nd) High Hand in thedesignated 2^(nd) High Hand Slot 20 on the table 10. Once step 218 iscomplete, the acting banker must turn over their six cards and arrangethem in their position's designated slots. If no player is acting asbanker and dealer is the banker by default, the dealer plays theirHighest Hand in Dealer Highest Hand slot 24, and their 2^(nd) High Handin the Dealer 2^(nd) High Hand Slot 25.

Once the banker's hands are revealed and played, the dealer turns overthe two hands of the next clockwise positioned player. The dealer thencompares the two hands of the current player to the two hands of theacting banker in step 221. Further details of hand outcomes will belater described in accordance with the description of FIG. 3B below. Ifthe player displays a losing hand or is shown to have played an illegalhand in step 222, the player loses and the dealer collects the player'sbet and cards in step 223, as well as the player's bonus bet ifapplicable in step 229. If the player has played a legal winning hand instep 224, the player's wager remains in place and the dealer checks tosee if the hand qualifies as a bonus hand in accordance with the rulesabove in step 227. If the winning hand is a bonus hand, then the dealerimmediately pays the odds to the player in step 228 based on their bonuswage, if applicable. If the winning hand does not qualify as a bonushand, the player's bonus wager, if applicable, is immediately collectedin step 229. If the player has played a legal tying hand in step 225,then the result is a push in step 226 and the player's wager remains inplace. The dealer then checks to see if the push hand qualifies as abonus hand in accordance with steps 227, 228, and 229 described above.

If any other players' cards are face down, the dealer moves to the nextclockwise position and repeats steps 220 to 229 until all players' cardsare revealed in step 230. Once this is performed, the dealer then may,in clockwise order after the banker position, pay out all winning betsand collect each winner's respective cards in steps 230 and 231, ifapplicable, and thus ending a round of play in step 232.

Now referring to FIG. 3B, depicted is a flowchart to describe the stepstaken in order to determine winning, losing and tying hands, as well asrespective payouts for winning hands and bonus hands. For this drawing,“P1” will refer to player's Highest Hand, “P2” will refer to player's2^(nd) High Hand, “B1” will refer to banker's Highest Hand, and “B2”will refer to banker's 2^(nd) High Hand.

When comparing a player's hands to the banker's hands in step 233, thedealer first checks to see if the player's hand is illegal in step 234.If the hand is illegal, then the player loses in step 239 and player'swager and bonus wager are collected by the dealer in step 240.

The dealer then checks to see if P1<B1 and P2<B2 in step 235; P1=B1 andP2≦B2 in step 236; or P1≦B1 and P2=B2 in step 237. If any of thesescenarios is true, then the player loses. If those steps prove to befalse, the dealer checks if the player has misplayed their hand bycreating a hand where P1<P2 in step 238, in which the player would alsolose.

If steps 234 to 238 are false, then dealer checks to see if P1>B1 andP2≦B2 in step 241; or P1≦B1 and P2>B2 in step 242. If either of thesesteps is true, then the result is a push in step 243 and the playerretains his/her initial bet.

If steps 234 to 238 and 241 to 242 are false, then the result is awinning hand in which P1>B1 and P2>B2 in steps 244 and 245. In theresult of a winning hand, the player is eventually paid the same amountbet on the wager as shown in step 246.

Subsequently, bonus wagers are determined by the dealer in steps 247 to254 in accordance with table shown above. If a hand does not qualify asa bonus hand, then the bonus player's wager is collected by the dealerin step 255.

The following procedures describe a preferred manner of operating a CaoCao Poker game within a casino or the like, however, the procedures arenot intended to limit the invention.

Optional Procedures—Cards & Number of Decks

Cao Cao Poker shall generally be played with one deck of cards withbacks of the same color and design, one additional cutting card and oneadditional cover card to be used in accordance with the procedures setforth below. The cutting card and cover card shall be opaque and in asolid color readily distinguishable from the color of the backs andedges of the playing cards. The deck of cards used to play Cao Cao Pokershall meet the requirements of the casino and shall include no joker.Nothing in the present invention shall prohibit a casino from usingdecks, which are manufactured with two jokers provided that only nojokers is used for gaming at Cao Cao Poker.

If an automated card shuffling device is used for Cao Cao Poker, acasino shall be permitted to use a second deck of cards to play thegame, provided that: (i) each deck of cards complies with therequirements above; (ii) the backs of the cards in the two decks are ofa different color; (iii) one deck is being shuffled by the automatedcard shuffling device while the other deck is being dealt or used toplay the game; (iv) both decks are continuously alternated in and out ofplay, with each deck being used for every other round of play; and (v)the cards from one deck only shall be placed in the discard rack at anygiven time.

Optional Procedures—Opening of the Table For Gaming

After receiving a deck of cards at the table in accordance with Houserules, the dealer shall sort and inspect the cards and the floor personassigned to the table shall verify the inspection as required. If thedeck of cards used by the casino contains two jokers, the dealer and acasino supervisor shall ensure that no joker is utilized and that thejokers are discarded.

Following the inspection of the cards by the dealer and the verificationby the floor person assigned to the table, the cards shall be spread outface up on the table for visual inspection by the first player to arriveat the table. The cards shall be spread out according to suit and insequence and shall include no jokers.

After the first player is offered an opportunity to visually inspect thecards, the cards shall be turned face down on the table, mixedthoroughly by a “washing,” or “chemmy shuffle” of the cards and stacked.Once the cards have been stacked, they shall be shuffled in accordancewith the procedure below.

If a casino uses an automatic card shuffling device to play the game ofCao Cao Poker and decks of cards are received, each deck of cards shallbe separately sorted, inspected, verified, spread, inspected, mixed,stacked and shuffled in accordance with the provisions hereofimmediately prior to the commencement of play.

All cards opened for use on a Cao Cao Poker table and dealt from amanual or an automated dealing shoe shall be changed at least every fourhours.

Optional Procedures—Shuffle and Cut of Cards

Immediately prior to the commencement of play and after each round ofplay has been completed, the dealer shall shuffle the cards eithermanually or by use of an automated card shuffling device so that thecards are randomly intermixed. Upon completion of the shuffle, thedealer or device shall place the deck of cards in a single stack;provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be deemed toprohibit an automated card shuffling device which, upon completion ofthe shuffling of the cards, inserts the cards directly into an automatedor manual dealing shoe.

After the cards have been shuffled and stacked, the dealer shall: (i) ifthe cards were shuffled using an automated card shuffling device, dealor deliver the cards in accordance with the procedures set forth herein;or (ii) if the cards are shuffled manually, cut the cards in accordancewith the procedures set forth herein.

Upon completion of a manual shuffle, the dealer shall place the stack ofcards on top of the cover card. Thereafter, the dealer shall offer thestack of cards to be cut, with the backs facing up and faces facing thelayout, to a determined player. If no player accepts the cut, the dealershall cut the cards.

The cut of the cards shall be offered to players in the following order:(i) the first player to the table, if the game is just beginning; (ii)the player who accepts the bank if banking is utilized; provided,however, if the bank refuses the cut, the cards shall be offered to eachplayer moving clockwise around the table from the bank until a playeraccepts the cut; or (iii) the player at the farthest position to theright of the dealer, if there is no bank during a round of play;provided, however, if there are two or more consecutive rounds of playerwhere there is no bank, the offer to cut the cards shall rotate in aclockwise manner after the player to the far right of the dealer hasbeen offered the cut.

The player or dealer making the cut shall place the cutting card in thestack at least 1 card from either end. Once the cutting card has beeninserted, the dealer shall take the cutting card and all the cards ontop of the cutting card and place them on the bottom of the stack. Thedealer shall then remove the cover card and place it on the bottom ofthe stack. Thereafter, the dealer shall remove the cutting card and, atthe discretion of the casino, either place it in the discard rack or useit as an additional cutting card to be inserted four cards from thebottom of the deck. The dealer shall then deal or deliver the cards inaccordance with the procedures set forth herein.

After the cards have been cut and before any cards have been dealt, acasino supervisor may require the cards to be re-cut if he or shedetermines that the cut was performed improperly or in any way thatmight affect the integrity or fairness of the game. If a re-cut isrequired, the cards shall be re-cut, at the casino's option, by theplayer who last cut the cards, or by the next person entitled to cut thecards.

Whenever there is no gaming activity at a Cao Cao Poker table which isopen for gaming, the cards shall be spread out on the table either faceup or face down. If the cards are spread face down, they shall be turnedface up once a player arrives at the table. After the first player isoffered an opportunity to visually inspect the cards, the proceduresoutlined above shall be completed.

Optional Procedures—Wagers

All wagers at Cao Cao Poker shall be made by placing gaming chips, amatch play coupon on the appropriate betting area of the Cao Cao Pokerlayout. A verbal wager accompanied by cash shall not be accepted at thegame of Cao Cao Poker.

Only players who are seated at the Cao Cao Poker table may place a wagerat the game. Once a player has placed a wager and received cards, thatplayer must remain seated until the completion of the round of play.

Ante Wager at Cao Cao Poker shall be placed prior to the dealerannouncing “No more bets” in accordance with the dealing procedures setforth herein. No Ante at Cao Cao Poker shall be made, increased orwithdrawn after the dealer has announced “No more bets.”

Upon placing a Cao Cao Poker wager, a player may also, if a bonus wageris offered by the casino, place a bonus wager by placing a gaming chiponto the bonus slot designated for that player.

Optional Procedures—Procedures for Dealing the Cards From a ManualDealing Shoe

If a casino chooses to have the cards dealt from a manual dealing shoe,the dealing shoe shall meet the requirements of the House. Once theshuffling procedures described above have been completed, the cardsshall be placed in the manual dealing shoe and the dealer shall announce“No more bets.”

The dealer shall then deliver the six card stacks to each playerstarting with the first player to the dealer's left.

After the starting position for dealing the cards have been determined,each card shall be removed from the dealing shoe with the left hand ofthe dealer and placed face down on the appropriate area of the layoutwith the right hand of the dealer. The dealer shall deal the first cardto the starting position and, moving clockwise around the table, deal acard to all other positions, including the dealer, regardless of whetherthere is a wager at the position.

After six cards have been dealt to each position, including the dealer,the dealer shall remove the remaining cards from the shoe and determinewhether exactly four cards are left. (i) If four cards remain, the fourcards shall not be exposed to anyone and shall be placed in the discardrack. The dealer shall then collect any cards dealt to a position wherethere is no wager and place them in the discard rack without exposingthe cards. (ii) If more or less than four cards remain, the dealer shalldetermine if the cards were misdealt. If the cards were misdealt and aplayer or the dealer has more or less than six cards, all hands shall bevoid.

Optional Procedures—Dealing the Cards from the Dealer's Hand

A casino may, in its discretion, permit a dealer to deal the cards usedto play Cao Cao Poker from his or her hand. If a casino chooses to havethe cards dealt from the dealer's hand, the following requirements shallbe observed: (i) once the shuffling procedures have been completed, thedealer shall place the deck of cards in either hand; Once the dealer haschosen the hand in which he or she will hold the cards, the dealer shalluse that hand whenever holding the cards during that round of play andthe cards held by the dealer shall at all times be kept in front of thedealer and over the table inventory container. (ii) The dealer shallthen announce “No more bets” prior to dealing eight stacks of six cardseach to the area in front of the table inventory container. The dealershall deal by holding the deck of cards in the chosen hand and using theother hand to remove the top six cards of the deck and place it facedown on the appropriate area of the layout.

(3) The dealer shall deal the first six cards moving from left to rightuntil there are eight stacks of six cards. After eight stacks of sixcards have dealt, the dealer shall determine whether exactly four cardsare left by spreading them face down on the layout. (i) If four cardsremain, the cards shall not be exposed to anyone at the table and shallbe placed in the discard rack. (ii) If more or less than four cardsremain, the dealer shall determine if the cards were misdealt. If thecards were misdealt and a stack has more or less than six cards, theround of play shall be void and the cards reshuffled.

The dealer shall deliver the first stack to the starting position asdetermined and, moving clockwise around the table, deliver the remainingstacks in order to all positions, including the dealer, regardless ofwhether there is a wager at the position. The dealer shall deliver eachstack face down. After the eight stacks have been delivered to eachposition, including the dealer, the dealer shall collect any stacksdealt to a player position where there is no wager and place them in thediscard rack without exposing the cards.

Optional Procedures—Dealing the Cards from an Automated Dealing Shoe

A casino may, in its discretion, choose to have the cards used to playCao Cao Poker dealt from an automated dealing shoe which dispenses cardsin stacks of six cards. If a casino chooses to have the cards dealt froman automated dealing shoe, the following requirements shall be observed.(i) once the shuffling procedures have been completed, the cards shallbe placed in the automated dealing shoe; (ii) the dealer shall thenannounce “No more bets” prior to the shoe dispensing any stacks ofcards.

Once the starting position has been determined, the dealer shall deliverthe first stack of cards dispensed by the automated dealing shoe to thatposition. As the remaining stacks are dispensed to the dealer by theautomated dealing shoe, the dealer shall deliver a stack in turn to eachof the other positions, including the dealer, moving clockwise aroundthe table, whether or not there is a wager at the position. The dealershall deliver each stack face down.

After the eight stacks of six cards have been dispensed and delivered toeach position, including the dealer, the dealer shall remove theremaining cards from the shoe and determine whether exactly four cardsare left by spreading them face down on the layout. (i) If four cardsremain, the cards shall not be exposed to anyone at the table and shallbe placed in the discard rack. (ii) If more or less than four cardsremain, the dealer shall determine if the cards were misdealt. If thecards were misdealt and a stack has more or less than six cards for aplayer, the round of play shall be void.

If the dealer determines the cards were dealt properly, the dealer shallthen collect any stacks dealt to a position where there is no wager andplace them in the discard rack without exposing the cards.

Optional Procedures—Setting of Hands

Each player at the table shall be responsible for setting his or her ownhands and no other person except the dealer may touch the cards of thatplayer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a player requests assistancein the setting of his or her hands, the dealer may inform the requestingplayer of the manner in which the casino requires the hands of thedealer to be set in its Rules of the Games Submission. Each player shallbe required to keep the six cards in full view of the dealer at alltimes. Once each player has set a high and low hand and placed the twohands face down on the appropriate area of the layout, the player shallnot touch the cards again.

After all players have set their hands and placed the cards on thetable, the six cards of the dealer shall be turned over and the dealershall set his or her hands by arranging the cards into a Highest and 2ndHighest hand. The dealer shall then place the two hands face up on theappropriate area of the layout. If banking or co-banking is in effect,after all players have set their hands and placed the cards on thetable, the player banking the game shall turn over his or her six cardsand shall set the two hands by arranging the cards in a Highest and2^(nd) High Hand on the appropriate area of the layout.

Optional Procedures—Payment and Collection of Wagers

Once the dealer has set a Highest and 2^(nd) High Hand, the dealer shallexpose both hands of each player, starting from the nextcounterclockwise position around the table. The dealer shall compare theHighest and 2^(nd) High Hand of each player to the high and low hand ofthe dealer and shall announce if the Cao Cao Poker wager of that playershall win, lose or be considered a tie (“push”). If the player hasplaced a bonus wager, the dealer shall also examine the six cards of theplayer and announce if the bonus wager of that player is valid.

All losing Cao Cao Poker wagers and bonus wagers shall be immediatelycollected by the dealer and put in the table inventory container. Unlessthe player has a winning bonus payout wager, all losing Cao Cao Pokerhands shall also be collected.

If a Cao Cao Poker wager is a push, the dealer shall not collect or paythe wager, but shall return the Cao Cao Poker wager to the player.Unless the player has a winning bonus wager, the dealer shall thenimmediately collect the cards of that player.

All hands that resulted in a winning Cao Cao Poker wager or winningbonus wager shall remain face up on the layout. Winning wagers shall bepaid after each player's hand has been exposed. The dealer shall paywinning wagers beginning with the player farthest to the right of thedealer and continuing counter clockwise around the table.

Optional Procedures—Vigorish

A casino may elect to garner a vigorish on all winning Cao Cao Pokerwagers such that the winning wagers shall be paid off by a casino at 1to 1, except that the casino shall extract a division known as“Vigorish” from the winning player in an amount equal to five percent ofthe amount won; provided, however, that when collecting the vigorish thecasino may round off the vigorish to cents or the next highest multipleof 25 cents. A casino shall collect the vigorish from a player at thetime the winning payout is made. After a winning Cao Cao Poker wager hasbeen paid and the vigorish collected, the dealer shall then, ifapplicable, pay the winning bonus wager of that player (no vigorish iscollected for bonus winnings). The dealer shall then collect the cardsfrom that player.

Optional Procedures—Player Wagering on More Than One Betting Area

A casino may, in its discretion, permit a player to wager on no morethan two betting areas at a Cao Cao Poker table, which areas must beadjacent to each other.

If a casino permits a player to wager on two adjacent betting areas, thecards dealt to each betting area shall be played separately. If the twowagers are not equal, the player shall be required to rank and set thehand at his/her seated slot before ranking and setting the other hand.If the amounts wagered are equal, each hand shall be played separatelyin a clockwise rotation with the first hand being ranked and set beforethe player proceeds to rank and set the second hand. Once a hand hasbeen ranked and set and placed face down on the appropriate area of thelayout, the hand may not be changed.

Optional Procedures—Bonus Maximum Payout

Notwithstanding the minimum payout odds and the fixed bonus amountabove, a casino may establish a maximum payout amount as approved by theDivision that is parable to a player for one round of play, which amountshall be at least $25,000 or the maximum amount that, one player couldwin per round when betting the minimum permissible wager, whichever isgreater. If the established payout limit is not included on the layout,each casino shall provide notice of any decrease in the payout. Anymaximum payout limit established by a casino shall apply only to payoutsof Cao Cao Poker bonus wagers placed.

Irregularities

If the dealer exposes any of the cards dealt to a player, the player hasthe option of voiding the hand. Without looking at the unexposed cards,the player shall make the decision either to play out the hand or tovoid the hand.

If a card or cards in the hand of the dealer or bank is exposed, allhands shall be void and the cards shall be reshuffled.

A card found turned face up in the shoe shall not be used in the gameand shall be placed in the discard rack. If more than one card is foundturned face up in the shoe, all hands shall be void and the cards shallbe reshuffled.

A card drawn in error without its face being exposed shall be used asthough it was the next card from the shoe.

If any player or the dealer is dealt an incorrect number of cards, allhands shall be void and the cards reshuffled.

If the dealer does not set his or her hands in the manner required, thehands must be reset in accordance with this submission and the round ofplay completed.

If the bank does not set his or her own hands correctly, the wager shallnot be lost, and the dealer shall be required to reset the bank's handsin the correct manner so that the round of play may be completed.

If banker does not set his or her hands correctly to the mandatorystrategy, then banker loses the hand and bets.

If a card is exposed while the dealer is dealing the eight stacks, thecards shall be reshuffled.

If cards are being dealt from the hand and the dealer fails to deal theeight stacks in the appropriate manner, the cards shall be reshuffled.

If an automated card shuffling device is being used and the device jams,stops shuffling during a shuffle, or fails to complete a shuffle cycle,the cards shall be reshuffled.

If an automated dealing shoe is being used and the device jams, stopsdealing cards, or fails to deal all cards during a round of play, theround of play shall be void and the cards shall be removed from thedevice and reshuffled with any cards already dealt.

Any automated card shuffling device or automated doing shoe shall beremoved from a gaming table before any other method of shuffling ordealing may be utilized at that table.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that modificationsand changes may be made in various embodiments of the present inventionwithout departing from its true spirit. While the foregoing writtendescription of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make anduse what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those ofordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence ofvariations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment,method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not belimited by the above described embodiment, method, and/or examples, butto include all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of playing a card game comprising thesteps of: having each player place a required initial wager; dealing apreset number of cards to each player and to the dealer from a standarddeck of cards, wherein the each Ace has a point value of 1, cards 2-9each have a point value equal to their face value, and tens, jacks,queens, and kings having a zero point value; having each player and thedealer divide their cards into a highest hand and a 2^(nd) high handwith each hand having a preset subset of the dealt cards; wherein thevalue of each hand is equal to the least significant digit of the sum ofthe subset cards within the hand and the highest hand has to have avalue greater than or equal to the value of the 2^(nd) high hand;comparing each player's high hand to the dealer's high hand and eachplayer's 2^(nd) high hand to the dealer's 2^(nd) high hand; anddeclaring the player a winner only if both hands are higher than thedealer's hands.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each playeris positioned at a player position of a gaming table.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 2, wherein the gaming table is a physical structure.4. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of thegaming table is an electronically generated image.
 5. The methodaccording to claim 2, wherein each player position has at least one slotfor the initial wager, the 2^(nd) high hand and the highest hand of theplayer.
 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein each player positionincludes an additional slot for a play wager.
 7. The method according toclaim 5, wherein each player position includes an additional slot for abonus wager.
 8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the gamingtable further defines a dealer position with at least slots for the2^(nd) high hand and the highest hand of the dealer.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein after the cards are dealt to each player,each player elects to fold or play their hand, wherein if the playerdecides to play their hand, the player is required to place a playwager.
 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the play wager mustbe equal in value to the initial wager or twice the initial wager. 11.The method according to claim 1, wherein prior to dealing of the cards,each player has the option to place a bonus wager and the player willreceive a bonus payout if the combination of the player's 2^(nd) highhand and highest hand define a bonus combination.
 12. The methodaccording to claim 11, wherein a bonus combination is selected from thegroup including a Perfect Cao Cao combination, a Super Cao Caocombination, a Royal/Royal combination, a 9/Royal combination and a 9/9combination wherein the Perfect Cao Cao combination is defined as anytriple 3s and a value of 9 using the cards 2, 3, 4, the Super Cao Caocombination is defined as any triple 3s and any triple royal cards, theRoyal/Royal combination is defined as two sets of triple royal cards,the 9/Royal combination is defined by a numerical value of nine and anytriple royals, and the 9/9 combination is defined by two sets each witha numerical value of nine.
 13. The method according to claim 1, whereinin comparing the player's hands to the dealer's hands, except forspecial combination hands, hands are rank based on the value of the handbeing closest to nine.
 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein thespecial combination hands include a Perfect Cao Cao combination, a SuperCao Cao combination, a Royal/Royal combination, a 9/Royal combinationand a 9/9 combination wherein the Perfect Cao Cao combination is definedas any triple 3s and a value of 9 using the cards 2, 3, 4, the Super CaoCao combination is defined as any triple 3s and any triple royal cards,the Royal/Royal combination is defined as two sets of triple royalcards, the 9/Royal combination is defined by a numerical value of nineand any triple royals, and the 9/9 combination is defined by two setseach with a numerical value of nine, with the special combination handsranking with the Perfect Cao Cao combination the highest hand, the SuperCao Cao combination the 2^(nd) highest hand, the Royal/Royal combinationthe 3^(rd) highest hand, the 9/Royal combination the 4^(th) highest handand the 9/9 combination the 5^(th) highest hand.
 15. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the preset number of cards is six.
 16. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein one of the player's may elect banka given round of play.
 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein aplayer may only bank the given round of play if (i) the player placed awager against the dealer during the last round of play in which therewas no player banking the game; and (ii) the player has sufficient fundsin play to cover all of the wagers placed by other players at the tablefor that round of play.
 18. The method according to claim 1, wherein thedealer may retain a vigorish against all payments to winning players.19. A method of playing a card game comprising the steps of: having eachplayer place a required initial wager at a respective player position ofa gaming table; dealing a preset number of cards to each player and tothe dealer from a standard deck of cards, wherein the each Ace has apoint value of 1, cards 2-9 each have a point value equal to their facevalue, and tens, jacks, queens, and kings having a zero point value;having each player and the dealer divide their cards into a highest handand a 2^(nd) high hand with each hand having a preset subset of thedealt cards; wherein the value of each hand is equal to the leastsignificant digit of the sum of the subset cards within the hand and thehighest hand has to have a value greater than or equal to the value ofthe 2^(nd) high hand; comparing each player's high hand to the dealer'shigh hand and each player's 2^(nd) high hand to the dealer's 2^(nd) highhand; and declaring the player a winner only if both hands are higherthan the dealer's hands.
 20. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe gaming table is a physical structure or at least a portion of thegaming table is an electronically generated image.